Bishop exhorts priests to persevere, build up church

Wednesday, May 01, 2019 - Updated: 11:14 am

Bishop David Zubik mixes oils during the Holy Thursday chrism Mass at St. Paul Cathedral. The liturgy includes a renewal of vows by priests serving the diocese. See more photos on Page 8.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — A number of Catholic bishops referenced the clergy sexual abuse scandal during local chrism Masses in calling for a renewal of the priesthood and greater partnership in serving the church among ordained priests and the laity, whose priesthood of service is guaranteed by baptism.

Each diocese celebrates a chrism Mass to bless the oils used in sacraments and long-standing prayer rituals throughout the year. Priests also renew their vows of service to God and the church at the Mass.

A chrism Mass traditionally is celebrated the morning of Holy Thursday, but it can be moved to another day to accommodate the needs of a local diocese.

Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik told the priests of the diocese April 18 that Jesus “is counting on you and me, just as he counted on the exhausted apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane.

“We are here in this place and at this time because of them. They passed on the faith to us,” he said in his chrism Mass homily April 18. “And trust what can and will happen through us as we pass on the faith to others. Many, many more will come to learn, love and live Jesus through you, through me. And how can that happen?

“Jesus teaches us all by his example. Stay the course. Be men of prayer. Trust in him. Be men of hope. Build the kingdom of God,” Bishop Zubik continued.

He acknowledged that he and many of his brother priests are experiencing “emotions as raw” as what the first apostles experienced, but he said they all must “renew our yes to Jesus, right here, right now ... help to build up the church as the body of Christ.”

The bishop added: “With Jesus as our model, our foundation and our high priest, no fatigue, no tiredness, no exhaustion can ever take our eyes off the task or rob our hearts from preaching the Word or celebrating the sacraments or serving our people. You already know that! You are doing that so valiantly, so faithfully. ... Nothing is impossible with God.”

Citing Pope Francis’ letter to U.S. bishops as they met in retreat in January to pray and reflect on their role as ordained clergy, Archbishop Paul Etienne of Anchorage, Alaska, said the pontiff called for a “new ecclesial season.”

The retreat was planned in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis that rose anew in 2018, in part around questions about how some prelates handled abuse allegations.

“(The pope’s) words to the bishops are also a good instruction for every priest: ‘What is being asked of us today is a new presence in the world, conformed to the cross of Christ, one that takes concrete shape in service to the men and women of our time,’” Archbishop Etienne said.

The new ecclesial season, the archbishop said at the April 10 Mass, can be found in the way Jesus encountered people, engaging them in the “reality and messiness of their lives.”

“He invited them to a fuller experience of life, by entering a personal relationship with him, inviting them to follow him, and asking that they make a free gift of their life to others,” he said.

In Reno, Nevada, Bishop Randolph Calvo reminded the priests at the chrism Mass April 11 at St. Rose of Lima Church that their renewal of their commitment to carry out the sacred duties of priesthood was a recognition of the importance of service and ministry to others.

Such a renewal, he explained, was to be taken against the backdrop of the clergy sexual abuse crisis that has “shaken” the Catholic Church and “called into question among many faithful Catholics their trust in their priests and bishops” and even the church institution itself.

Acknowledging that priests have suffered from “this scandal,” Bishop Calvo said “the crimes of our confreres have left them feeling humiliated, sad and vulnerable. The perception that bishops have not advanced far in appropriately handling abuse cases make them angry and frustrated.”

He also took on clericalism, which he described as “placing the clergy as an elite class and raising the sacrament of holy orders above the sacrament of baptism in importance.”

The bishop called baptism the most important of sacraments and said all the baptized are anointed with chrism to share in Christ’s mission of creating a just society for all.

He called for clericalism to be “dealt with” because it puts priests “on a dangerous pedestal.”

“Priests need respect and affirmation as all of us do, but clericalism is different,” Bishop Calvo told the congregation

“The clergy sexual abuse scandal has pushed priests off the pedestal. But let’s go further. Why don’t we just smash the pedestal of clericalism to bits,” he said, explaining that doing so would “rebuild and restore the ordained ministry of priests.”